Liz Brash of Cape Town, South Africa writes:

West Patagonia Trip – February 2012

In February of this year my training partner, Sandy, and myself travelled to South America to participate in a 3 day trail run from Puerto Fuy in Chile to Lago Lacar in Argentina. This was an awesome experience and is the subject of another story.

During our planning, we decided to capitalize on the fact that we would be in South America (and get value for money for the air tickets!) and take 10 days after the race to explore Patagonia as we had never been there.

This details where we went, what we did and some details and tips about travelling in the area.

South America is one of my favourite destinations. It is relatively cheap, it has a myriad of wonderful countries each with their own amazing destinations and unique beauty and the people are really friendly.

• South America is  third world, so people used to travelling in first world Europe need to be aware of this and look beyond the first impressions. Go with an open mind and wallow in the experiences!
• Despite tourism being a major part of the income in South America, only a small percentage of people speak or understand English. It is useful to work with a phrase book or online translator as hand signals can only go so far!
• As far as money is concerned, travellers cheques are very expensive to change. Credit cards are not widely accepted. It is better to take dollars and to change these as required at the Cambios (Foreign Exchange offices). Some hotels/hosterias and travel agencies will accept dollars as payment but few, if any, will change dollars for you. Always check to see if the town you are going to has a Cambio (some smaller places don’t) and change enough money before you go. In bigger cities such as Buenos Aires, tourist shops will accept payment in dollars but the rate is not good.
• Siesta time is adhered to all over Argentina. From around 12:30 – 16:00, many restaurants and shops close. Restaurants open again around 20:30 so one has to get used to eating late at night. However, it doesn’t take long to slot into the siesta routine!

In Feb Malaysia airlines were still flying direct to Buenos Aires from Cape Town so we landed in a hot, humid Buenos Aires after a 9 hour flight. Climate here in February is very like Durban. We had pre-booked overnight accommodation via the travel agent as well as transport to save hassles when arriving in a big city, so that was easy! I am not a big city person, but it is interesting to walk around the BA and explore the parks, pedestrian avenues and historical buildings. Flying over BA it is amazing to see how flat the city and surrounding areas are – there are no hills or even bumps! Runners here do hill training up stairs and over bridges!

From BA we flew west to Neuquen to meet the race bus. Neuquen is a scruffy town that is the capital of Neuquen province. It is dry, windy and dusty, but it is the centre of dinosaur excavations so if that is your interest then it is worth going.

From Neuquen the race bus took us on a 7 hour trip to San Martin de los Andes where we were going to register for the race. The scenery en route is a combination of karoo-like grassland with flat topped Free State-like hills. The difference being the snow capped mountains and volcanoes in the distance and the volcanic soil and flat-bottomed glacier valleys we were travelling through. As you go further west towards the Andes, the climate becomes drier, windier and colder.

San Martin de los Andes is a picturesque little town on Lago (Lake) Lacar. In winter the biggest drawcard is skiing, but in summer the climate is good and there are many water sports and hiking activities on offer. Many Argentineans have summer houses here. Wool is the biggest industry in this area and there are many shops with wonderful wool products. Just remember to shop around as the touristy type shops can be quite expensive. Down the smaller streets the same item can be found for much less. There are many hosterias, cabanas and hostels here so there is a wide choice. San Martin is quite close to the border with Chile so is also used as a departure point for people travelling  to Chile by ferry.

To get to the start of the race, we took a 1.5 hour bus trip round the lake to Hua Hum border post and through to Puerto Pirehueico where we took the ferry for a beautiful 2.5 hour trip across Lago Pirehueico to Puerto Fuy in Chile. The ferry is a working boat so is not luxurious, but the trip is well worth it.

Just remember that you cannot take any plant, animal, nut, fruit or vegetable products into Chile – even if vacuum packed. Even wood products may be confiscated if there are any cracks in them. Always declare anything you are not sure of, as the fines are extremely heavy and you will spend the day filling out forms!

After the race, we caught a bus from San Martin to San Carlos de Bariloche in Rio Negro province from where we would fly south to El Calafate in Patagonia. The 4 hour trip from San Martin to Bariloche is via the Seven Lakes drive which is beautiful. The glacial lakes are enormous and surrounded by mountains. The road is challenging at times and the busses take it slowly. There is one stop at Villa la Angostura, which is another picturesque lakeside town – definitely a journey worth doing.

Bariloche on Lago Nahuel Huapi is the skiing resort in Argentina during winter and used to be quite a pretty little town. It is growing too fast now and has lost its pretty status so when you arrive, it looks scruffy and haphazard. However, when you explore it, it is bustling, does have some picturesque buildings and the lakeside is worth a walk although the perpetual wind is cold!  However, it is the centre of the chocolate industry, which makes up for everything! There are many chocolate shops selling handmade chocolates by the kilo; Mamushka chocolates being my favourite – if a bit pricey and touristy.

From Bariloche we flew to El Calafate in Santa Cruz province in western Patagonia to start our real holiday.

Climate in western Patagonia is determined by the presence of the Southern Continental Icefield which lies in the Andes. It is the biggest continental icefield after Antartica and Greenland.

• The prevailing westerlies from the Pacific hit the Andes, deposit most of the precipitation over Chile as rain and the rest on to the icefield as snow. This then becomes ice due to low temperatures and perpetual cloud cover. There are 300 glaciers going into Argentina from the icefield. There is little rain on the Argentinean side. The winds don’t stop there and blow down into Patagonia ensuring that the year round temperatures are cold! Although El Calafate lies at the same Southern latitude as London in the North, the climate is very different. We were there in summer and the average daily temperature was between 7 – 12 degrees Celsius without the wind chill factor. Wind in summer is strong and persistent! Warm clothes and dressing in layers are essential.

El Calafate is on Lago Argentino and is an interesting little town whose prime function is tourism. There are many things to do and it is an ideal place to use as a base. We had booked 2 nights (again via internet) in a really great hosteria (smaller than hotel but bigger than B&B) called Posta Sur just 5 minutes from the centre of town. We decided that we would play it by ear after that. When we decide to extend our stay, the hotel helped us as they were fully booked as were most places in town in our price range. They found us a really sweet little hosteria Patagonia Rebelde just up the road – excellent value for money. Both these places are highly recommended.

There are many travel agencies – not so much for booking planes but for organising trips to the various activities round the town. We used Eurotour as they offered a wide variety of tours. Most of the tourists spoke or understood Spanish so we were often the only pure English speakers.

 Things that we did – all of which are worth trying:

• A visit to an estancia (farm) where the history of the population of Patagonia is explained, plus a walk around the old sheep shearing and dipping facilities, a demonstration of manual shearing and rounding up sheep and then dinner! The farmer takes you around.
• A trip across the lake to Estancia Cristina (a farm that is now part of the national park) from where you are taken on a 4×4 drive to visit Glacier Upsalla – a cantilevered glacier. The huge icebergs that one passes on the lake trip come from this glacier. We had to book this trip as the Cristina group has the sole rights (for another 3 years). Guides take you around and give you great history and geography information. Talks are done in Spanish and repeated (in not so much detail) in English.

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• A trip to Glacier Perito Merino – a huge glacier that is still moving and calving huge icebergs into the lake. We did this trip by booking the bus at the bus station which seemed cheaper than an agency trip although the exhorbitant park fee changed our minds… This is a spectacular glacier and well worth the money. There is also a restaurant and tourist shop at the car park.
• A day trip to Torres del Paine in Chile. We had planned to hike and stay in this park but injuries from the running race prevented this.  The guide was excellent and gave us lots of information. We were driven around the south eastern part of the park and taken on a short walk following a river. A beautiful area – definitely on the agenda for a hiking holiday. We also visited the part that had recently been burnt by a fire started by a camper’s stove. Sadly that will take years to recover due to cold and plants not geared for fire like our fynbos.
• A visit to Estancia Alice near the town where one could choose between ziplining, horse riding or being taken on a 4×4 drive. We did horse riding – a slow walk with a guide up and down the hills on the farm – beautiful views!
• Laguna Nimez near town is a bird sanctuary and for a small fee one can wander on the paths round the wetland, dunes and lake. The pamphlet is very well done as are the information boards on the walk. Binoculars can be hired at the information centre.
• The dinosaur/history museum is also worth a visit as it is also well done. It is hidden in the side streets of town but we found it on the way to Laguna Nimez. After walking through the museum, the young guy at reception showed us how to make Yerba Mate (the Argentinean tea) properly and explained all the rituals and traditions. Everyone in Argentina has their flask of warm water, their tea gourd and silver straw. It’s a national pastime and social activity.

From El Calafate we took a 2 hour bus trip round the lakes to El Chalten. This is under the Fitzroy range of mountains and is the trekking/climbing centre of Patagonia. It was founded in 1985 so is very new and is still in the process of growing. There are many campgrounds in town and hostels catering for the young trekkers and climbers. New hotels and hosterias are being built, which hopefully won’t affect the quaintness of the town. The campsites out of town next to the lakes and rivers are much prettier than those in town – worth the walk.

There is no Cambio in town but the travel agencies and tourist shops accept dollars. The weather here is much colder and the wind is really strong! We were here for 3 days and only saw the mountains as we arrived and as we left; otherwise they were under cloud!

It is a very peaceful place to be. It is in the Parque Nacional des Glaciares and all busses stop at the park information office so that rules and regulation can be explained to visitors.

 Activities we can recommend:

• There are many hikes that start from town – some one day, some multi day and some guided long hikes. Most are well marked. The hikes are free, but hikers need to register for the longer ones for safety reasons. We did a beautiful walk up to Laguna de los Tres which took around 6 hours; cloudy and cool but awesome.
• We booked a boat trip to Glacier Viedma – the biggest glacier (out of the 300 in Argentina!) – to do some ice trekking across the glacier with crampons. An amazing experience. The guides were great and ensured the trip was fun for all. We had an English speaking guide all to ourselves – everyone else spoke Spanish!

(There is also a full day ice trekking and climbing trip that can be done.)

• We hired mountain bikes and rode along next to the river, exploring waterfalls and lakes – bumpy but fun!

(There is an adventure centre out of town that offers cycling, canoeing, etc.)

On our way home, we spent another night in Buenos Aires due to flight times. This time it was hot, humid and raining! It was also a Sunday. Most places only open at 12:30 in the afternoon, so we went into a huge mall to look at the leather work that South America is famous for. It is not cheap but relatively cheaper than SA. They use unusual leather such as Capybara, and the quality is excellent.

The flight home was on SAA and we had to go to Cape Town via Johannesburg; 9 hours to Jhb and then 2 hours to Cape Town.

 We had done so much but there is still so much to do in Patagonia….next time!

Basic equipment needed for cooking outdoors:

• gas bottle and gas plate
• matches
• wood and charcoal
• braai grid
• 3 legged cast iron pot (potjie)
• flat bottomed cast iron pot (potjie)
• cooking pot with a lid
• gas kettle
• gas lamp
• tin foil
• wooden spoons, knives, serving spoons
• grated
• potato peeler
• colander
• bowls with lids
• cup
• head torch
• chopping board
• wooden board

Recipe 1: All in one Tangy Chicken ‘potjie’ 

This is a firm favourite with my family and we make it in summer and winter. It serves 6 people easily. Serve with a fresh garden salad.

30ml olive oil, 2kg chicken pieces, 5 medium onions chopped, 2 chilies seeded and chopped, 250ml water, 5 carrots peeled and chopped, 6 medium potatoes peeled and cubed, 125ml uncooked rice, tin of peas, punnet of mushrooms or 2 tins, tin of chopped tomatoes, 10ml chopped parsley, 2 cloves of garlic chopped, pepper, 5ml dried oregano, level teaspoon of peri-peri powder, 125ml of dry white wine, 30ml sugar, 20ml salt, 20ml mild curry powder, 1 chicken stock cube

1. Make a fire, add charcoal and wait for coals. Put the 3 legged cast iron pot over the coals to heat for a few minutes. Put the oil into the pot and heat. Add the chicken pieces and fry a few at a time until golden brown. Stir with the wooden spoon. Remove and set aside in a pot with a lid.

2. Fry onions and chilies until tender, add the chicken and 250ml water (a cup) to the pot. Sprinkle the herbs and spices on top, put on the lid and simmer for 15 minutes. Check that there are enough coals under the pot.

3. Stir the meat and onions to make sure nothing is stuck at the bottom of the pot. Arrange the vegetables and rice in layers on top of the meat in the order listed above.

4. Mix the wine with the remaining ingredients and pour over the potjiekos (food in the pot).  Do not stir at this stage. Cover and cook for 30 – 45 minutes until the rice is cooked and the potatoes and carrots are soft. Stir through before serving.

5. When the meal is finished, scrap out all the bits of food from the pot, fill the pot with water and put back on the fire to heat up and to loosen oil and food from the sides of the pot. When hot, add a little washing up liquid and scour out the pot. Empty the water and repeat if needed. Let the empty pot dry on the dying coals. Remove from the heat and let the pot cool. Once cold, oil the inside of the pot and lid with cooking oil and leave until the pot is needed again. This prevents the pot from rusting.

Recipe 2: Stuffed chicken breasts

This recipe is adapted from one of my favourite Gordon Ramsay’s recipes and it serves 4 people. I would serve it with baked potatoes wrapped in foil and cooked in the coals of the fire, coleslaw and a fresh garden salad.

4 Large filleted chicken breasts, 8 fresh sage leaves or 5ml dried sage, 5 heaped tablespoons of ricotta cheese, salt and pepper, 8 slices of Parma ham or 4 large slices of gypsy ham, 30ml olive oil, sprigs of thyme of 5ml dried thyme, tin foil, cling wrap

1. Cut a deep slit along the one side of the chicken breast, without slicing through, then open up flat. On a chopping board chop 4 sage leaves or 2,5 dried sage and mix into ricotta in a small bowl. Salt and pepper to taste.

2. Lay two slices of Parma ham on a board overlapping or one gypsy ham. Put a sage leaf  or some dried sage in the middle and lay the open chicken breast on top. Repeat 3 more times. Now divide up the ricotta mixture between the 4 and spoon onto the middle of the chicken breast. Fold the sides together to form a roll. Cover each one in cling wrap and put in your cooler box to chill for 1 – 2 hours.

3. Make a fire, add charcoal and put the braai grid on top. Put the flat bottomed potjie pot on of the grid to heat. *Add the oil and when hot, fry the Parma-wrapped chicken breasts until each side is golden brown. *(If you are doing baked potatoes, now is the time to put them in the coals.)

4. Take some tin foil, shiny side facing inwards, put a chicken breast in the middle and sprinkle with thyme. Wrap the breast in the foil and place close to the coals, but not on top. Keep turning the parcels and cook for about 20 minutes. Check if cooked by unwrapping one and it should feel firm when lightly pressed.

Do you have a favourite recipe for outdoor cooking? Why don’t you send it to me plus a photo or two and I’ll add them to this blog post.

Juvenile Klaas's Cuckoo

We have spend the last 14 days observing the bizarre behaviour of a juvenile Klaas’s Cuckoo and its adopted Cape Batis parents. These birds seem to love the riverine environment hovering from 2m to 5m high in the trees. This hungry cuckoo chick has demanded to be fed from 08:00 till way past 18:00 exhausting its worn-weary, super-stressed adoptive parents.

Cuckoos have parasitic breeding habits, laying one egg at a time in another species’ nest. The mother cuckoo waits for the unsuspecting female bird to lay her own eggs and then when a moment arises, the mother cuckoo lays an egg in the adopted nest and leaves. When the cuckoo chick hatches, it tosses the other eggs or fledglings out of the nest so that there is only one chick in the nest, mouth open waiting to be fed by the ‘unsuspecting newly adopted parents’.

Cape Batis parent

Even once the cuckoo chick is old enough to fly and seemingly big enough to hunt for itself, it continues to demand feeding.

We watched and heard these tiny Cape Batis parents, frantically catching insects for their ever-hungry, taxing, oversized chick. One wonders is nature cruel or clever here?

Bird-ringing in the Cederberg

Understanding the impact of the environment on a bird’s habits, helps us to understand the impact nature has on us.

Our friend, Sue Schultz, is a licensed bird ringer. She has rung nearly 1 000 birds during 2011 and many of these in the Cederberg, recording their names, location, sex, weight and age. She measures the tail feather lengths, length of head and bill, bill length, length of scapular and number of primary and secondary wing feathers. She also records whether the bird has been incubating eggs recently. She does this by blowing on the belly of the bird to see if there is a naked brood patch. In some species both sexes incubate the eggs. All this information is captured and logged onto the University of Cape Town’s ornithology department’s database. This information is used worldwide to trace the movements and behaviour of birds especially during climatic and environmental changes.

We spent a few hours a day, watching and helping Sue. She was also able to educate many fellow campers who showed an interest in her research. This is just a tiny part of a far bigger research project. Looking at the countless hours put into research, many with no remuneration, gives one a renewed respect for all scientists.

This year we shall be 12 people on 2 campsites. The sites are large so there is plenty of space for tents, cars, recreational and ‘bush kitchen’ equipment. This is the list of our equipment:

• Camping equipment: tents, tent poles, tent pegs, mallet, shade cloth groundsheet, awning, awning poles, awning pegs, camping chairs, tables, washing up table,  extension lead, electric multiplug, gas bottles, paraffin lamp, paraffin, gas plates, gas lamp, extra filaments, gas bottle key, washing line, axe, braai grid, braai spade, potjie pot, tripod stand, 5 litre water cooler, camping deep freeze, cooler box, ice bricks, charcoal, wood, sleeping bags, pillows, blankets, mattresses, mattress pump, tabard, citronella candles, toolbox, spare car keys, compressor, tow rope, jumper cables, First Aid Kit
• Kitchen equipment: matches, wash up bowl, kettle, jug, pots, salad bowls, salad servers, cutlery,knives, cereal bowls, plates, paper plates, jaffle iron, glasses, cups, mugs, washing up brush, washing up cloths, washing up liquid, hand washing powder, drying up cloths, pegs, braai tongs, tin opener, scissors, chopping boards, colander, grater, bath plug, potato peeler, toilet paper, paper towel, wooden spoons, tin foil, cling wrap, small containers, black bags

Food is a major part of being on holiday, catering for everyone’s tastes and preferences.  When we go away with friends, we cater for our own breakfasts and lunches and only share the evening meal. A menu needs to be planned as the nearest shops are more than 25km away. Our supper menu this year is:

Outdoor Kitchen

Day 1: chicken braai, baked potatoes in tinfoil, coleslaw and fresh rolls. Toasted marshmallows for pudding.

Day 2: spicy chicken potjie with potatoes, onions, carrots, peaches, peas, mushrooms and rice

Day 3: fish braai, couscous salad, garden salad, homemade braai bread and jam

Day 4: lamb knuckles potjie with bacon, potatoes, onions, carrots, beans, mushrooms, peaches and rice

Day 5: chicken pasta with red, green, yellow peppers, mushrooms, cream, parmesan and a garden salad. Peaches and custard for pudding

Day 6: ribs, chops and sausage braai, potato salad, garden salad, curried corn salad, braai bread and jam. Toasted marshmallows for pudding.

Day 7: chilli con carnie using mince, red kidney beans on baked potato, braaied butternut and gem squash in tinfoil. Fruit salad and custard for pudding.

Day 8: spaghetti bolognese with mince and topped with cheese. Garden salad using the last of the fresh produce.

What we all look forward to is:  catching some sun, swimming in clear mountain water, early morning walks, drawing and painting,  playing board games with friends and reading, reading, reading.

Click on the photographs below to enlarge.

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Tell us about your camping experiences – where do you go, what do you take with you, and what do you like to eat when camping outdoors.

Scott and Julie

Michael Sparkes from Simply Hike/Camp Equipment Company in the UK adds:

Why has family camping become so popular in the UK?

Since the recession hit, people haven’t been able to afford holidays abroad. It is because of this that many families are packing up their tents, collapsible chairs and gas cookers and venturing to different camping spots all over the UK to soak in some areas of natural beauty. Camping trips are cheap and cheerful and are a great chance to be “at one” with nature. Another plus for camping families is the bonding time you get to spend with your loved ones, there’s something more satisfying when you have to cook your own food, gather kindling and slave away trying to get a fire to start, yeah you’ll be huffing and puffing whilst dad gets on he’s old man knees and spends what seems like forever to get it started, but it’s totally worth the wait.

There are some amazing areas of natural beauty in the UK, and some of them are famous for their picturesque views and stunning landscapes. However, some come as a bit of a surprise and even the most hardened of campers will appreciate some of the spectacular parts of nature which aren’t too far from even the biggest of cities. If you’re unsure of where to go with your tent, why not try these places:

·       Cornwall – A beautiful area bordered with exquisite beaches and beautiful countryside, Cornwall is a great place to take the family for camping. From the buzz of Newquay in peak season to the tranquillity of St Ives on a summer’s evening, it is an ideal holiday destination.

·       Warwickshire – A county steeped in history and culture, it is not only a great place to sleep under the stars, it is also rich in activities for the daytime – visit the butterfly farm in Stratford Upon Avon, visit Warwick Castle to soak up some historic knowledge, or hire boats for a day on the water!

·       The New Forest – The New Forest itself is a huge area virtually untouched by humans apart from those that walk or cycle through it. A perfect place to ride horses or have picnics, this is Hampshire’s little gem.

·       The Lake District – Hire a boat and sail around one of the many lakes, go hiking, visit the many quaint towns and villages or even go canoeing, fishing or swimming. The west coast of Cumbria even offers beautiful beaches for those who want to relax on the sand.

Each camping location across the UK will be able to offer you and your family something different to do. Outdoor activities are an ideal way to spend some quality time with your loved ones and have lots of fun too. Of course, weather in the UK isn’t always pleasant so make sure that you plan plenty of indoor activities too – even if this means staying wrapped up in your tent and playing a card game! Here are a few suggestions which might whet your appetite for adventure:

1.     Light a Campfire

2.     Go Fishing

3.     Do Some Stargazing

4.     Go for Walks

5.     Visit Local Places of Interest (Museums, stately homes, castles, landmarks or maybe even forests!)

6.     Go Swimming (this will depend on weather, location, and whether there actually is somewhere to swim!)

7.     Go on a Bike Ride (you could hire or bring your own)

Camping is great because it is simple – so enjoy the simplicity and start exploring the great outdoors!

This post was written on behalf of Simply Hike the online camping equipment store.

This hike is so popular that one needs to book a year in advance to secure your spot. It’s belongs to Cape Nature and is just outside Bredarsdorp in the DeHoop Nature and Marine Reserve on the Southern Cape coast.They allow for 12 people per trail over the 5 day hike hence there are 60 people hiking between the various campsites daily.

On a Sunday, we left Cape Town at 1pm to arrive at Potberg Base camp at 4pm. We carried our hiking ‘stuff’ into the hut where there was bunk beds, kitchen, toilet and shower facilities with the braaing area outside. As we were to discover along our hike, all the huts were very similar. As there were six of us, we met up with the other six, three elderly German couples. We aquainted ourselves with each other over the braai with the wine and beer flowing.

We all took the ‘easy’ option of ‘slek packing’ where you pay R300 and you can have your ‘stuff’ (sleeping bag, food, wine, clothing, etc) placed into your own large plastic container that gets transported from camp to camp by Cape Nature.

8pm or so was bed time to get up early the next day to start this AMAZING hike.

Monday morning – Day 1

Potberg to Cupidoskraal – 15km

Brekkies (everyone sorts themselves out), then after that getting yourself ready with your ‘day pack’. In your back pack: water, lunch, camera and binoculars. We set off at 7am.

This leg of the hike is the most strenuous as it was mostly uphill. Along the way were baboons, luckily quite far distance away, gliding Cape vultures and spectacular views. As we reached the top which is the highest point of the trail, you are overwhelmed by the splendour of it all with such an array of flora specifically that of the fynbos. Apparently there are both Erica and Protea species that only grow here and no where else in the world.

Winding Breede River

The winding Breede River below you and the Swellendam and Langeberg Mountains on the horizon, are all part of this visual feast. This day however was not without its change of weather patterns from coolish to hot, to a light drizzle, then the wind blowing, to humidity, to quite a heavy downpour and then to finally arrive about 8 hours later at our camp for the night in overcast conditions.

After a shower, cuppa hot coffee and some warm clothing, all 12 of us got to chat in the kitchen about our day whilst preparing supper.

Day 2 (the reason I say this besides it being the second day of the trip, is you actually don’t remember what day of the week it is anyway)

Cupidoskraal to Noetsie – 14.7km

After the usual getting ready in the morning, we left onto what seemed like a lot of twisting and turning paths. Noticeable  every 2kms there’s a rock with the indication as to how far you’ve gone. Along the entire trail there are a few cairns of rocks stacked up against each other. This is apparently where there is the best cellphone reception. Some decided to phone home, check up on SMS’s however the main reason for this is in the event of an emergency en route, you’ll remember where the last cairn was so as to call Cape Nature to assist. Luckily we never got to ‘test’ this out.

With about a km to go you hear the sound of the sea and smell it which is distinctively different to the past two days of the fynbos smells. As we walked over the ridge with our hut there next to the sea, we were greeted by a whale and her calf quite near to us. It was almost as if it was their way of officially welcoming us to The Whale Trail.

After settling in, we went to sit under the open air gazebo between our A-frame huts and the sea. Supper was a braai.  A delicious supper with good wine, the sea just a few feet away, the amazing stars that we don’t get to see back home and the total relaxation all together after another good day’s hike. This made us all rather sleepy and so off to bed.

Day 3

Noetsie to Hamerkop – 7.8km

Well that’s what we were supposed to do, however Cape Nature and Denel (part of Armscor) had other plans. Everyone at each of the respective camps, were evacuated and picked up in bakkies to be taken back to base camp. The reason was that the German airforce was doing missile testing and the Whale Trail was in it’s flight path. For obvious security and protection reasons, we all had to be in a safe place. This apparently happens once in a while and November seems to be the best time of the year. After a rather bumpy ride which took over an hour, we got into base camp wet as there was a light downpour. Our smiles soon returned at the sight of hot coffee and brekkies awaiting us. We were briefed in a presentation by both companies and an apology of inconveniencing us all. The weather conditions got worse with heavy winds and intermittent heavy downpours. Had we been on our hike, we would’ve been soaked and quite miserable. So I guess all in all a blessing in disguise. After lunch we were back in the bakkies to our next camp.

The first two days were great, day 3 was disappointing as the rhythm of the hike was broken – bring on day 4.

Day 4

Hamerkop to Vaalkrans – 10.5km

About 90 % of this was walking either on beach sand or on the rocky pathway alongside it. Although it was tough, there was no rush to get to our next hut. We took it easy again taking in all the views and life we encounted – more whales, a seal, a few dung beatles (hard at work), oystercatchers with their red bills and legs and the variety of so many rock pools with their respective life forms.

After what seemed a hard day of hiking and tired legs and by this stage some blisters, none of this seemed to matter as we spotted the last hut to sleep in. It was as if Cape Nature left the best till last. WOW!!!

The hut had a spectacular view of a cove where the waves continually rolled in and bashed against the walls with the spray of water getting higher and higher. Although one knows it, here you could see just how powerful the sea actually is. Definitely a force to be respected.

Our last supper of the trail with the twelve of us reminincing over the past few days. We were inside the kitchen near the fireplace as it turned out to be a rather chilly evening.

The last of the food was eaten, the wine and other beverages consumed and to sleep at the end of a wonderful day.

Day 5

Vaalkrans to Koppie Alleen – 7km

An easy hike with some beaches, but walking mostly through the thicket. It’s one last chance to take in the scenic landscapes and simply put – the beauty of it all. Upon our arrival at the end point, there is a boardwalk where you can explore more rock pools and walk up and down the sand dunes. We called Cape Nature and within an hour we were picked up and taken back to base camp where our cars were thankfully where we had left them. Farewells all round and back into the cars to head back home.

While being a passenger, I looked at all the photos I took and smiled as I recollected all the various experiences.

God sure knew what He was doing and must’ve smiled broadly while making THE WHALE TRAIL.

They had lots of good recommendations about interesting places to visit while doing Kruger National Park, Cape Town, and the Garden Route, just to name a few. In doing so, they took into account the composition of our family. They even had prepared workbooks for the kids about South Africa and our trip.

Also, they were marvelous when selecting and arranging appropriate lodging, and affordable rental cars. So, in short, it is with great pleasure that we recommend Scott and Julie for all your South Africa trips.

Tanya and Ben Fikket of The Netherlands, August 2009

(review written in November 2011)

We formed the company ‘All Africa Tours’ so that we could help you make your travel dreams come true. The world is such a beautiful place filled with so many amazing different cultures. Our aim is to help you have the most memorable holidays.

Featured Tours

Go to our newest Featured Tour to read about a trip we designed for a couple this year in August. Also visit YouTube to view a short clip of their romantic holiday.

School Trips

We also design school trips that educate and enable children to appreciate nature, cultures and the achievements of man. See Educational Tours for more details.

This is also a new adventure for us and we are very excited to journey with you. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Please contact us for more information and ideas.

God bless
Scott and Julie

The tour operator had an excellent rapport with the pupils, being informative, fun, as well as ensuring that the pupils were polite and well behaved. Great care was taken over the security and safety of the pupils. Tour manual….an interesting, informative and well researched manual was given to each pupil before the commencement of the tour. Pupils completed various tasks either en route , on site or back at school. All areas of the curriculum were included. Videoing…..extensive and professional footage was taken by the tour operator of each activity, as well of early wake up calls! Pupils were presented with an excellent and entertaining dvd at a very reasonable cost. As the teacher assisting Julie, our tour guide, memories of this excellent tour will remain with me forever. Highly recommended. A FIVE STAR EXPERIENCE !!!!!!

Sally Stewart, Cape Town SA, May 2010
(written in September 2011)

We arrived in Johannesburg, hired a people carrier and drove to Kruger Park.  We had been pre-booked into Kruger and we spent a wonderful 6 days there.  From there we travelled to the Eastern Transvaal and the Drakensberg Mountains where we stayed at Sani Pass. We then drove down to Cape Town stopping for a few nights as Cape St Frances and  Knysna.  An unforgetable adventure for the whole family. Plenty to do and see for all. We’ll definitely use All Africa Tours again.

Linda Barker of Leicester UK, July 2007
(review written in August 2011)

Linda Barker (far left)

I always had something to do, Mrs Womack even organized activities for us to do on the bus. The accommodation was amazing, Addo Elephant was my favourite. Mrs Womack catered for all the different interests of the girls in my class, when it came to the activities and accommodation. She catered for those who love the outdoors by organizing for us to stay at Addo Elephant, game driving and canoeing at The Wilderness. She also catered for those who love indoor activities more than outdoor activities by organizing for us to stay at a really fancy hotel and spending time at Knysna Waterfront. The different activities were so much fun and I learnt so much. There was no activity that I did not enjoy. I would definitely go on this trip again. It was an amazing camp that I’ll never forget and brought our entire class closer together.

Chelsea Muir, Grade 9 Rustenburg Girls’ High, Cape Town, August 2011

Chelsea (on the Left)